Couple Makes An Unlikely Decision That Transforms Their Lives

Sometimes life can get bogged down by the routine of work, eat, sleep, repeat. People feel trapped and unfulfilled, leaving them wanting more. But what are you supposed to do? Isn’t that just the way things have to be? Turns out, no!

For Felix and Selima, their life in Berlin was a slog. They dreamed of traveling the Americas but didn’t know how it would work logistically. The couple finally hatched an innovative scheme for completing the ultimate international adventure, and part of that adventuring meant repurposing a school bus into the home of their dreams. They hit more than a few bumps along the road in the process!

Felix Starck and Selima Taibi are a true modern couple who want to explore the world together and live a simple life. Felix works in film and Selima (stage named Mogli) works as a musician. Together, with their dog Rudi, they planned the ultimate adventure.

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The pair lived in Berlin, Germany, and had fallen into a boring routine. What they really wanted to do was travel to and tour around the Americas. They were both ready for the change but knew the hassle and cost of finding a new place to sleep every night would be too much.

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Felix and Selima talked about the possibility of taking their travels on the road. They figured being mobile would allow them to make their dreams come true as well as match their wanderlust personalities. It was time to just go for it.

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They found an old school bus online that was located in Florida and thought it’d be the perfect way to road trip across the Americas. So, they booked three plane tickets, for Felix, Selima, and Rudi, and made their way across the Atlantic Ocean.

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The plan was to transform a regular school bus into a fully functioning travel home. They would do the building themselves (even though neither of them had any construction experience)! This adventure was going to be a big investment.

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Upon landing in the United States and seeing their bus, they realized they were in for quite a challenge. The bus had a lot of rust and holes in the floor. With a little advice from a North Carolina couple who had recently transformed a bus, they started cleaning the rust and patching up the holes.

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With the bus prepped and ready for its transformation, they considered the space they needed and how they could optimize it. One important thing they considered was Rudi. He inspired the entire transformation and was a real support system for the couple.

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With a design plan set, the couple began building their new home from scratch. After clumsily working with pallet wood and tools, they finally finished their first piece — a bed.

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With their first task complete, the couple had the confidence to keep going. They needed lots of storage in their tiny space, so they constructed the kitchen cabinets. They made room for a small stove, sink, and refrigerator. Little by little, their new home was taking shape.

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Next, they reserved space for the bathroom. They created one area for the toilet and one adjacent area for the shower. Selima really enjoyed decorating the bath areas and making them feel like home.

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They also wanted an office area to work in. So, across from the kitchen, they created a table countertop with two computers for the couple to work on. The functional space allowed them to cook, eat, and work all in the same area.

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In the back of the bus was where they reserved space for their bedroom area. They utilized the bus’s emergency hatch and transformed it into a skylight to really brighten up the place.

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With the interior finished — complete with bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, office, living area, and dining area — they wanted to do something with the outside of the bus so people wouldn’t mistake it for a real school bus. They added a sleek silver paint job.

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They installed solar panels on the roof, but also installed components that allowed them to plug directly into a grid. All of this, along with Selima’s musical equipment, were stored and accessed through the rear bus door.

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Twelve weeks later, with every detail planned out right down to a single storage unit, Felix, Selima, and Rudi finally completed their dream and were ready to live that simple but adventurous life. Their first stop on the trip? Banff National Park in the Canadian Rockies.

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The one thing Felix and Selima wanted to fully embrace during this trip was nature. Selima loved the warm sun on her skin, and Felix and Rudi loved the extensive hiking trails the park offered. They loved watching Rudi travel. Not many dogs, let alone people, get to see this much of the world.

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They continued their trip even further north to Alaska. They stopped at Denali National Park to explore the Last Frontier. Even though the weather was cold, the warm sun shone through the clouds and allowed the couple to bask in its rays.

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From Alaska, they traveled south to the conterminous United States and ended up in Death Valley California. Felix recalled how impressive the national park was, and that it was probably their favorite stop to that point. Still, the couple wanted to make their way down to South America — off to Mexico they went.

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Mexico was nothing short of amazing. They were able to finally relax on the beaches, and Selima was even inspired to write new songs. The trip, unfortunately, wasn’t perfect: Rudi got really sick and ended up in the hospital. His health was their number one priority, and they knew they had to cut their adventure short.

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They put their bus up for auction so that someone else could go on an incredible adventure as they had. It went to a man named Pablo who wanted to travel to Argentina with his wife and two young children. Felix and Selima were absolutely thrilled. Even though they had never made it to South America, their bus would!

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Although their trip was cut short, it brought their little family closer together. They lived out one of their dreams, and in the process, produced a documentary of their life and travels. Truly, this was an experience they’d never forget.